Roy Orbison and Jeff Lynne

Alex Chilton (RIP)

Chilton's first musical experience came as a teenager as lead singer of The Boxtops, which experienced some commercial success thanks to their song "The Letter". However, he's probably most known as the lead singer and songwriter for the influential band Big Star.

Big Star flopped when they were active from 1971-1974, despite critical praise. Perhaps the world just wasn't ready for their brand of melancholy pop songs. 35 years later, they are "one of the most mythic and influential cult acts in all of rock and roll" according to AllMusic. Their work is seen as some of the most important in the early history of alternative rock, and especially influenced groups like REM (who frequently praised Big Star in interviews). It's also to see the roots of tons of indie music in Big Star's work; their albums legitimately sound like they could be the work of a fresh new indie band.

Some other Big Star songs:
Thirteen
Ballad of El Goodo
Stroke it Noel
Holocaust

Joan Jett

I think Joan Jett's music can be a bit dated and lame sounding, but she's pretty much synonymous with girl punk. First as a teenager with The Runaways and then as a successful solo artist, Jett paved the way for any girls who wanted to rock as loud as the boys. Jett was also able to be one of the first true woman rock stars, as she scored commercial hits with "I Love Rock and Roll", "Bad Reputation", "I Hate Myself For Loving You", etc.

The one thing that I really like about Jett is that she's continued to be an ambassador for punk. She influenced many members of the Riot Grrrl movement of the 90s and then collaborated with them, even producing some of their albums. Stuff like that really means a lot to me for some reason, since it shows she cares about the music, which is something I want from people on my label.

Jett gives my studio another punk icon and collaborator, and also someone who has actually had commercial success (I know, right).

Rat Studios:
Kurt Cobain
David Bowie
David Byrne
Iggy Pop
Elvis Costello
Joey Ramone
Michael Stipe
PJ Harvey
Thurston Moore
Patti Smith
Corin Tucker
Carrie Brownstein
Alex Chilton
Joan Jett